The Audit Connection Blog
SAO assistant director DeViney takes leadership role on national board, becomes member of GASB advisory committee
A longtime employee of the Office of the Washington State Auditor (SAO) has been appointed chair of a national board that advocates for the improvement of government accounting and financial reporting standards. ... CONTINUE READING
Getting ready to file by May 30? Keep your annual report preparation on track with a checklist
Some of our audit findings are the result of someone forgetting an important step when preparing the financial statements. Using our checklists is a great way to ensure that you don’t miss a step when preparing your annual financial reports. ... CONTINUE READING
Concerned about possible errors on your SEFA? SAO is here to help
Washington’s governments encountered special audit circumstances this year when it came to preparing the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA). School districts were no different—and many of you found yourselves facing a federal audit for the first time because the funding you received related to the COVID-19 pandemic met or exceeded the federal government’s threshold to require an audit. ... CONTINUE READING
How charter and tribal schools fare under public audit
Just like established public schools, charter and tribal schools are subject to public audit. In the 2020-21 school year, Washington’s charter and tribal schools served more than 5,600 students. SAO audits the public funding that each type of school receives. This article outlines how each type of school fares under public audit. ... CONTINUE READING
New rules for accounting and reporting on leases and SBITAs
Accounting and reporting guidance for leases and subscription-based information technology arrangements (SBITAs) are changing for school districts and charter schools. Before this change, districts and charters used a somewhat subjective test to determine if a lease should be classified as “operating” or “capital.” Under the new guidance, all leases (with a few stated exceptions) are just leases, eliminating “operating” leases. The primary goal of the new accounting method is to increase comparability across governments; it also gives financial statement users better, more complete information by establishing a single model for lease accounting. ... CONTINUE READING
Schools and school districts: Check out the special WASBO edition of our newsletter, just for you
This week, the Washington Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) is hosting its annual conference. As is our custom, we have created an Audit Connection newsletter designed just for schools and school districts. ... CONTINUE READING
What you need to know about audits and HB 1660, which affects how districts use ASB funds
Since the state Legislature approved House Bill 1660 in June 2020, school districts across Washington have been examining the law to understand what is required of them and how to manage their Associated Student Body (ASB) funds. Here’s a quick refresher about the law, who’s responsible for setting the criteria, and how SAO plans to audit this area. ... CONTINUE READING
#Gov101 series returns with a look at public utility districts
We’re firing up our #Gov101 series again! This time, we’re featuring public utility districts, also known as PUDs. For the next few weeks, we’ll tell you all about these special purpose districts: how they’re governed, how they get and spend public dollars, and how you can participate at your local PUD. ... CONTINUE READING
SAO’s latest and greatest resources for schools
We’re excited to see you in person at this year’s annual WASBO conference. Since we last saw you—virtually in 2021—we’ve updated some of your favorite resources, like the school’s financial statement review and preparation checklist, and made some changes to our piggybacking best practices guide. We’ve also launched new guides and checklists for payroll and accounts payable that you won’t want to miss. And with the influx of federal money to school districts, we’ve created a new tool to help with your federal grant programs. Stop by our booth to learn more about these resources! ... CONTINUE READING
Discover what’s new in FIT this spring
We’re excited to announce the release of new features in our Financial Intelligence Tool (FIT)! You’ll now have access to more details about local governments’ debt and liabilities and a direct link to helpful FIT resources. We’ve also launched our new live annual filing submission tracker and made several other enhancements for a better user experience. ... CONTINUE READING